Woj: Lakers, Clippers 'Would Love to Get Involved' in Bradley Beal Trade
The Bradley Beal trade rumors are heating up with the Wizards sputtering, and Washington is expected to have no shortage of suitors.
"The Lakers and Clippers would love to get involved. But it comes down to having the draft picks. Beal will have a say of where he goes because of his contract situation," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Thursday on The Jump.
Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers are expected to be serious suitors, given their lack of draft capital and tradeable assets. Many of the Lakers' future draft assets are owned by the New Orleans Pelicans following the Anthony Davis trade, whereas the Oklahoma City Thunder own rights to the Clippers' picks for the foreseeable future as part of the Paul George trade.
This is a situation that should appeal to the Lakers and Clippers, as well as to Beal, but it's a losing endeavor. Neither team has a war chest of assets available like the Brooklyn Nets did to pull off the James Harden trade.
Beal has yet to formally request a trade, but his body language has been increasingly dejected as the Wizards sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The All-Star's wife, Kamiah, tweeted her frustration after Beal dropped 47 points in Wednesday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. During the postgame, Beal told reporters about his current mindset:
"Yeah, I got to be better with that. I mean, media is going to blow it up. ... I'm mad about losing. If I am sitting over there laughing and smiling, what is the media going to say then? 'Oh, he doesn't take it serious.'
"I just hate losing. I hate losing. And I am going to continue to show pissed-off faces. I try to control them as much as I can, but I don't like losing."
Washington has lost 10 straight games in which Beal has scored 40 points.
Beal can become a free agent in the summer of 2022, so the Wizards' leverage in trade talks is quickly evaporating. Don't be surprised if Beal winds up being the second superstar moved this season—it's just not likely to be to Los Angeles.
